The Awakening by Kate Chopin is a very influencial book from the 19th century. The beginning of the book is made up of descriptions of the surroundings, mostly noises. Here, the readers are introduced to Mr. Pontellier, a "man of forty, of medium height and rather slender build".
When one starts reading the book, he/she is inclined to think that this is a feminist work, and they are correct. Only a few pages into the book, Mr. Pontellier scolds his wife, Edna, for having been out in the sun, having apparently been "burnt beyond recognition". From the start of the book, Kate Chopin seems to be trying to make a theme very clear: sexual oppresion. Women are not viewed the same as men, and women are seen mostly as property of men once they are in a husband/wife relationship. In fact, many women, Edna included, seem to view this as rather normal and go on with their lives without a fight.
However, readers could deduce that this is about to change. For one, the back page of the book carries the following quote: "She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before." If Edna is the 'she', and she is 'swimming' far out, it would be as if she is 'waking up' to see the truth that no other woman would have questioned before. Why have no other woman woken up before? Maybe it is like waking up to an alarm clock. One knows he/she has to wake up, but one decides to just put it on snooze. Then it is forgotten.
Sounds like an interesting start for an interesting (and pink) book.
Now, I would be more efficient if I could wake up as well...
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